Mass production of high quality wooden storage containers having consistent, attractive wood grain patterns can be prohibitively expensive due to raw material costs, the random pattern of wood grains which need to be matched in forming the container, and expensive treatments necessary to make the wood surface smooth and sliver-free. Wooden containers may also crack, twist, or change their shapes when exposed to moisture and heat. Furthermore, fine printing with colors on finished wood surfaces may be difficult to achieve.
The use of flexible laminates having a wood grain pattern, or other decorative pattern, adhesively secured to a relatively inexpensive board material to give the appearance of wood is known in the prior art. Also, the problem of forming bends or corners in material of substantial thickness is known. The use of right-angled V-grooved cuts has been proposed to form right-angled corners for a box. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,865,159 discloses the use of right-angled V-grooves cut into a flat board material to facilitate bending of the board material to form sharp corners.
While various methods of making simple containers using laminated flat board materials are known, a new way to simplify the steps required for forming a secure container bottom is desirable.